Water-wheel.



. PATENTED Nov. 26. 1907. W. M., w. 2., G. B. 2 3. Q. SAUNDERS.

WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. Imp/1S 1E:

2X line-mes UNI ED STATES- The object of our invention is to I WILLIAM M. SAUNDERS,

WESLEY G. SAUNDERS, GEORGE B. SAUNDERS SAUNDERS, OF RIOHLAND, OREGON.

PATENT OFFICE.

wA'rEn-wrinEL.

To-all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, .WILLIAM M. SAUN- Dnns, WESLEY G. SAUNDERS, GEORGE B.- SAUNDERS, and SAMUEL Q. SAUNDERS, citi zens of. the United States, residing at Richland, in thecounty of .Baker and State of Ore on, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Water Wheels, of whichlthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Ourim'vention relates to improvements in water wheels.

provide a water wheel of this character, which is adapts ed to rest upon the surface of the stream or body of water, and ads. ted to be 0 erated this character,-an

bythe current or tides t ereof, andt e supporting means so arranged that the wheel can e raised'or lowered for adjusting it to rest upon the surface of the water. i Another object of our invention is to provide a wheel that can be removed from the stream as a.protection from-ice, gorges, or floating debris, in order to save the wheel from unnecessary exposure when not in use. A still further object of our invention is to provide a more sim 1e. and effective device of one in which a greater poweris obtained with a wheel of a specified size. i

Inthe accompan ing drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view 0 ,ou rimproved wheel an supporting means. Fig. 2, is a side eleva- 'tion'of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is an enlarged top planwiew of the water wheel showing the speeific construction \thereof. Fi 4, is a vertical sectional view of 'the'whee l-carrying shaft and its connection with the su porting means and also the connection of t e blade supporting arms therewith. Fig. 5, is a plan view of the ball bearin connection between the supporting arm an the shaft. Fig. 6, is a plan view of the spoke-receiving socket carried bv the lower end of the shaft. Fig. 7, is an en arged end view of the spoke showing the truss-rod connection therewith. Fig. 8,

' is an enlarged plan view of the paddle-supporting hinge. Fig. 9, is a vertical sectional view of the clutch mechanism between the wheel-supporting truck and the inclined track.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 rep sents an inclined frame which is supported upon standards 2 which are preferably'iii the Specification of Letters Patent. Application and April 9.190s. serial No. 810.705.

Patented 1191.26, 1907i form of iles which are driven into the bottom of t e river bed, and the said frame has its lower end extending below the low water AND. SAMUEL Q.

\ or tide of the river bed, so that the wheel'can be at an} time lowered upon the surface of the water; The upper ends of the piles or standards 2 are connected by the stirnbers 3 -which form a more rigid su port for the track. Secured to the side 0 the frame 1 are the tracks 4 which extend the entire length of the frame, and below the low water level into the water. The specific construction of this supportin' frame can be varied without departin rom our invention.

rear end of the 'truck from tilting from the weight of the wheel, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The truck 5 is made of a rectangular form, and secured thereto wardly-extending horizontal converging bars Mounted u on sai frame is a truck 5 which adjacent the rear end at 9 and lQ are the fore l 1 land 12, the outer ends of which are adapted to support the wheel. The forward end of the truck is provided with 'u wardly-ex tending standards 13 and 14 w ich extend considerably above the bars 11 and 12, and secured to the standards below the bars, is a transverse bar 15 supporting the same. in

said horizontal position. The n per ends of said standards are also connects a transverse bar 16 to which are secure the forwardly-extending tie-rods 17 and 18 which are also seen red to the forward'end of the bars 11 and 12 for bracing the same. Secured also to said transverse bar 16 are the rearwardly-extending tie-rods 19 and 20 which are secured to the truck 5, and are rovided with turn-buckles 21 for tightening t e same.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the truck is moved up and down upon the track for bringing the wheel'up and keeping it u )on the sur ace of the water. In order to ho d the truck in its ad'usted position upon the" track, we provide a c utch mechanism which engages the u per and lower f. e of the rails. The sideli tending lug 23 to' which is intermediatelyv cam 22 of the ti .ick 5 is provided with an upwardly-ex- I 110.-

50 the threaded portion 44 of the shaft.

pivoted a lever 24,5516. lever extending wardlyabove the truckin a place where it,

can be readily operated.- Said lever has at its up er end means for" holding it in'its ad- 5 justed side of the "beam has pivotally connected.

position. The .said lever, on each thereto the downwardly extending sliding bars and 26 which move in guid'eways 27 carried by the side of the beam 22, The bar i0 25 has an enlarged lower end 28 to rest upon and gripthe upper face of tips side beam 1 of the frame," vvhile thebar '26 as an inwardly and upwardly turned end 29 adapted to en'- gage the lower'face of the track 4'.-

the bar 1 and the bar 26 is drawn u wardly under the track 4, and firmly locks t e truck -"in its adjusted position on the tracks,- and 20 also looks the same against any vertical or side-wise movement.

The outer ends of vthe horizontal bars 11 and 12 have secured above the same, a plate 30, and below a plate 31 by means of bolts The said plates are provided with open ings through which a'vertically-disposed shaft 33 loosely and rotatably passes. Se-

cured to the said shaft above the plate 30, is

a plate 34 which is provided on its inner face with a ball-race 35, and the plate 30 has an;

oppositely arran ed ball-race 36, and in said race are the bals 37 whereby the shaft is supported to be easily rotated. The upper end of the shaft 33 has keyed thereon the pulley wheel 38,by means of which the ower from the shaft 33 is transmitted tot e desired point. Y

The shaft 33 extends considerably below the bars 11 and 12, and carried by the same is a sleeve 38 which has its upper end bearing against the plate 31 and prevents the upward movement of the shaft. The lower end of the shaft, below the sleeve, -is screwthreaded at 39, and clamped 'on said shaft against/the sleeve .38 is an enlarged circular 5s socketsAS adapted to receive, and in which are securely fastened the radially-extending spokes 47 or arms of the wheel. Passing vertically through the plate 40 are bolts 48 by means of which the spokes are fastened in 6b the hubs. I The said spok' s 47, as shown, are

of an elongated form, and the outer ends thereof are provided w'h the sockets 49 which are provided with he outwardly-extending ears 50 through which passes the screw-threaded end 52 of the brace-rods 51,

It will be 15 readily seen that by throwing the lever 24 downward, the bar 25 is thrown down upon erases and secured on said screwthreaded portion 52 onthe outside off the cars 50, are nuts 53 by-means of which said rods arevtightened.

The inner ends of said rods are connected with clips 54 of the adjoining spoke. C onnected to the clips are rods 55.which have their inner ends passing through the openings 56 in the plate 40 and formed into loop's'57.

The outer 'ends of the spokes 47 are connected together by brace-rods .58 which pass through the clips 58 and doubly-brace the SP0 s.- Y Y J T e spokes 47 carry the addles or blades by means-ofwhieh the she t-is' rotated, and said paddlesor blades are of a feathering type, as is readilyJunderStood. The spokes- 47 adjacent their outer ends are provided with yke's 59 which are firmly clamped thereto by mwns of the cross-bar 60, and the nuts 61, while the clip or yoke 54serves as means for pivotally supporting the inner end of the blades, The lower corner" of said-yokes are provided with an eye 62 in which is mounted a link 63 through which-passes the U-shaped which the blades are rigidly secured, and by this structure-it will be seen that'the blades traveling up stream are adapted'to swing in a horizontalposition, while the blades'on the opposite side of the wheel, or-traveling with the current, are held ,iira vertical positionand receive the full force --of the current,

while, as is, understood, this allows theblades traveling slide lightly over thesurface o rrangement;

up stream to f t e water and cause very little friction-,'-and thus greatly ifncrease the power of a wheel of aspecified size."

Connected to the lower edge of. each blade is a chain 67 which has itso posite end connected to the adjoining spo 'e, and thus the blades are allowed to swing in a horizontal os tion in one direction, but are prevented romswinging past a vertical position in the op osite direction.

he whole wheel, as heretofore described,

can be raised or lowered at will by any desiredImeans attached to the truck, but we preferably use a cable for raising the same, asthe weight is sufficient to cause it to travel downward when the clutch mechanism is released. The clutch holding it, asbefore described, against any upward or side-wise movement, and also against the pull of the drive belt passing around the pulley wheel on the drive shaft. The track being below the low water line, it is also seen that the wheel can be readily kept at all times in an operative position whether the water is high or low. The wheels, at the forward end of the frame being above the track, support the weight of the wheel, while the Wheels at the'rear being beto engage the upper face of the track ant the other bar engaging the lower face of the track, whereby the truck is held upon the track and in its adjusted position.

2. A water wheel, comprising an oblique track, a truck movable upon said track, a water wheel carried by the truck, an intermediately-pivoted lever carried by the truck,

a bar pivoted to said levcron one side of its pivotal connection and engaging the upper face of the track, a second bar pivoted to the lever on the other side of its ivotal connec tion and having an upward y-turned lower end engaging the lower face of the track, whereby the movement of the lever throws the bars in or out of'engagcinent with the track for holding or releasing the truck.

3. A water wheel, comprising an oblique track, a truck thereon, wheels carried by its forward end en 'a in r the u v or face of the track wheels carried by the rear end for engaging ,the lower face of the track, an outwardly extending horizontal arm carried by the outer end of the truck, and a water wheel carried by the outer end of said arm.

.4, A waterwheel, comprising an oblique track a truck thereon, wheels carried by its forward end and. engaging the upper face of the track wh eels carried by the rear end for engaging the lower face of the track, a friction clutch carried by the truck for holding the truck in its adjusted position on the track, a horizontal arni carried byThe truck, and a water wheel carried by said arm.

5. A water wheel, coin rising a sup orting arm, plates carried by the upper an lower faces of said arm, a shaft passlng through the arm and plates, the upper plate having a hallrace surrounding the shaft, balls within said race, a pla 1e secured to the upper end of the shaft and having a ball-raee arranged opposite the balls, a sleevecarried by the shaft and below the plate carried by the lower face of the arm, the shaft having a reduced lower scre\ -threaded end, and a'hub thereon, a nut on said screw-tln'eade l end and below the hub andlocking the hub on he shaft, spokes carried by said hub and feathering blades carried by said spokes.

6. A water wheel, comprising an oblique track, a truck movable upon said track, wheels carried by its forward end for engaging the upper face of the track, wheels carried by the rear end for engaging the lower face of the track, a friction locking means for the truck engaging the upper and lower faces of the track, a horizontal arm carried by the upper end of the truck, plates carried by the upper and lower faces of said arm, a shaft passing through the arm and plates, the u per plate having a ball-race surrounding t 1e shaft, balls within said race, a plate secured to the upper end ofthe shaft and'having a ball-race arranged opposite theballs, a sleeve carried by the shaft and below the plate car ried by the lower face of the arm, the shaft having a reduced lower screw-tlnraded end,

and a hub thereon, a nut on said screwthreaded end and below the hub and locking the same on the shaft, spokes carried by said hub and feathering the blades carried by said spokes. I

I n testimony whereof we allix our signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM M. SAUNDERS. WESLEY G. SAUNDERS. GEORGE B. SAUNDERS. SAMUEL Q. SAUNDERS Witnesses:

FRED. H. LOONEY, WM. R. Usnnn. 

